


looking at the void (and seldom blinking)

by NewEyes



Category: The Flash (Comics), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-22
Updated: 2015-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-16 16:33:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4632261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NewEyes/pseuds/NewEyes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was ready, he'd been training nonstop. The first Green rider, an older man called Harrison Wells, had taken an interest in him and implemented a strict training regime.  Wells wanted to go down in history as one of the greats and poor support from the Reds could jeopardise that. Barry could totally do this. He had a team of horses better than any he'd ever used back home and while his team mate Wally was even younger and more inexperienced than him, he had been friendly and made Barry feel at home. </p><p>"The Flash as chariot racers in Constantinople" AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	looking at the void (and seldom blinking)

Barry stood in his chariot in the darkness and waited for their cue to enter the arena. He could hear the crowd in the Hippodrome, there were lots of people out there, a lot more than had ever turned up back home. Back home he had had always had his Iris and Joe in the stands as well, watching him and supporting him. He'd thought nothing of it at the time but now he was here he realised how important it had been. He was only a Red, but the moves he made could still change the course of the race, and who won.

"You'll be fine," Cisco smiled at him and then went to check on Wally, who was standing in his chariot a few feet along from Barry.

"Everyone's nervous their first time out in the Hippodrome," Caitlin patted his arm.

He was ready, he had been training nonstop. The first Green rider, an older man called Harrison Wells, had taken an interest in him and implemented a strict training regime. Wells wanted to go down in history as one of the greats, and poor support from the Reds could jeopardise that. Barry could totally do this. He had a team of horses better than any he'd ever used back home and while his team mate Wally was even younger and more inexperienced than him, he'd been friendly and made Barry feel at home.

Caitlin and Cisco had stepped further back into the tunnel.

"Ready?" Wally said.

"As I'll ever be."

_"And....the Reds!"_

Barry heard the announcement. He gripped the reins tightly and moved out onto the sands. After so long in the darkness, his eyes took a while to adjust. There were so many people. It was so loud, and there wasn't even much cheering, not for a Red. It was so different from the arena he'd raced in back home.

But in some ways it was also familiar. A team of horses in front of him, the sands beneath him, reins in his hand. He did a few laps and then settled into position at the start line. He'd drawn 4 which meant he was starting in one of the middle positions. Wally had drawn 8th, which was a pretty useless position for a Red or White to be in. Here in the Hippodrome the Reds worked for the Greens, and the Whites worked for the Blues. Their job was basically to sabotage and block any members of the other team. Being right on the edge didn't really help an awful lot in the beginning, when everyone would be moving in towards the inside lane.

The Whites had been announced first, and were in position. One of the Whites had pulled 5 and was already sitting in the lane next to him. First rider for the Whites, a guy called Len who raced by the name of Captain Cold. Barry's opposing member. Barry had been to the races last week and had seen the guy race. He was good, a ruthless driver. He'd already cost the Greens a few wins.

Barry glanced over. Cold was already looking at him with a smirk on his face.

"So," Len drawled, "You're the new rider for the Reds."

"That's me. It's Barry."

" _Ice_ to meet you, Barry."

Barry rolled his eyes.

"I hope things don't end to badly out for the Reds and Greens today, it being your first day here. But no promises. Remember to keep your knife handy." Cold still had that smile on his face.

"I don't need any favours, we'll beat you either way. And this isn't my first time riding you know," Barry said hotly. "I know how to fall and jump clear."

"Everyone here knows it too kid, and yet charioteers still meet with Death on these sands every season. It's nothing to take lightly."

He did have a point, but Barry knew that. They all flirted with death every time they stepped out onto the sands. It could happen to anyone, a small mistake and you ended up dying on the sands, trampled by horses or in a collision. Collisions were not infrequent, especially for the Whites and Reds, it was a way of getting someone out of the race and clearing the path for your team. Most of the time everyone was fine. Sometimes they were not.

"Like I said, I know this already Cold."

"Call me Len, we're racing together after all."

Barry was about to reply when he heard the announcement for the Greens. The noise from the crowd was deafening. Half the crowd yelling their support, the other half booing as loudly as they could. 100,000 people screaming their lungs out. Wells came out into the oval with his partner. He acknowledged the crowd with a hand, and the noise grew even louder. Wells had pulled 3rd and he drew up next to Barry at the start line.

Barry smiled at Wells and the man smiled back at him.

"How are things going Barry? Ready to race and help us win this thing?"

"Of course," Barry said enthusiastically.

"I'm counting on you. I picked you for a reason, don't fail me."

"I won't, you can definitely count on me."

Len snorted behind him next to him.

Wells turned his attention to Cold.

"Still here then? I thought you retired, 40 years old and still a White?"

"I like where I am. Out of the limelight. You race because you love the power and prestige. Everyone knows it." Len looked disgusted. "You don't love the game and the race. You don't understand this place at all." Len shook his head. "Barry here understands more than you. I can tell. And he's just a kid." Len smiled at him, a true smile, not a smirk. "I like the Whites. It's different to racing Blue or Green, and I'm very good at it."

"Don't listen to him Barry, he's just trying to unsettle you before the race." Wells said.

"I know," Barry said.

_"And...the Blues!"_

Again, the crowd roared to a thunderous level. Barry saw the first rider, a man called Garrick, come out of the tunnel and enter the arena. He waved to the crowd unreservedly and Barry saw two Blue supporters near the barrier go crazy trying to get his attention. When Garrick acknowledged them with a smile and a wave, they went wild.

Barry was grateful to have Wells as his tutor, he'd learned a lot. And generally Wells and Garrick were pretty evenly matched. But if he had to pick the superior rider and team of horses, well, he had to admit to himself that it would probably be Garrick. Wells had a lot of wins under his belt, but it wasn't enough. They'd had a long string of losses lately, and Barry knew that Wells really wanted to win this one. Garrick had drawn 6th, a bad draw.

Soon they were all lined up and ready to go. Barry tightened his grip on the reins. It was unnecessary of course, they wouldn't come undone unless he sliced through them, Cisco and Caitlin had done their jobs well. But it made him feel better. Wells was looking at Garrick and glaring at him. Garrick was smiling softly back. The crowd fell silent as everyone waited for the start. Barry looked straight ahead and listened intently.

Crack! They were off. Unfortunately he was surrounded on all sides by experienced riders, but he got a good start and managed to keep up with them. Wells quickly pulled ahead of him, but Barry managed to keep pace with Cold and Garrick. The first few laps of a race usually consisted of everyone trying to move into the inside lane, you didn't have to travel as far. Wells quickly pulled hard on his reins and slid across the lanes into lane 1, pulling ahead of the White 2nd and Green 2nd easily. Barry followed him, moving forward but gradually moving inwards until he was in the second lane, in line with the Green 2nd behind Wells.

Cold had also moved inwards, he was in line Barry and edging ahead. Cold suddenly put on a burst of speed and moved into the 2nd lane in front of Barry. He then slowed right down, forcing Barry to drop back unless he wanted a collision. Cold was also angled towards the first lane, his front wheel within a hair of Green 2nd's front wheel. The Green automatically slowed a little, and Garrick used put on a burst of speed and move diagonally across the lanes from the fourth lane into the first, right behind Wells. Cold nudged his way into the first lane behind Garrick, and Barry followed him.

They were on their third lap now. Barry was still stuck behind Cold. He was fourth, Cold was Third, Garrick was 2nd and Wells was still in the lead. It was a decent ranking in the race for a Red, but it was poor position for him to be in if he wanted to help Wells. There was nothing he could do from here. Barry suspected Garrick was saving his strength, waiting to make a move in the fifth and final lap.

Cold moved forward a bit, into the second lane, so he was in line next to Garrick. Barry noticed them looking at each other, obviously communicating something. He saw the opportunity, they were distracted. He put on a burst of speed and moved out into the third lane. He pulled ahead of Cold, and started angling to move back into the 2nd lane in front of the man. If he could get Garrick out of the way, it would be a pretty much guaranteed win for Wells. Cold reacted quickly to try and block him, but not as quickly as he would have if they hadn't been distracted.

They entered the fifth and final lap. Barry could hear the crowd roaring. If he could just clip one of Garrick's wheels with his. But Cold had moved forward and every time Barry tried to angle inward, he was blocked. It was the final lap, if Garrick was going to make a move it had to be now. Sure enough he saw Garrick had put on a burst of speed and was moving into the second lane. He'd been letting Wells tire out his horses and was going to overtake in the final stretch. Cold was still blocking him but fuck Cold, Barry had to move now. He deliberately guided his front left wheel into Cold's front right wheel. The wheel completely collapsed, and Cold's chariot started to roll.

Time seemed to slow down for Barry. Cold pulled out his knife to cut free of the chariot, but his chariot jolted forward and the knife fell out of his hand. The chariot started to tumble over. Barry could see the resignation in his eyes. He could feel his own front wheel starting to go, but he could still clip Garrick if he pushed. He was quick enough. He knew he could do it. He wanted to do it. It was his first day out on the sands, Wells would be proud of him for something like this. It would make the difference to the outcome of the race, the Greens would cheer for him, it was glory and everything he'd wanted ever since he was small. But his eyes were pulled left to Len, still caught up in the chariot about to roll. His eyes had a cool acceptance to them. He imagined what Wells would advise him to do. He knew what Harrison would say, focus on the race, on stopping Garrick. But Barry thought of the arena back home, with Joe an Iris. He knew what they would advise him to do too. Save Len, even at the cost of his own glory.

Barry made his decision. He pulled out his knife and cut his own reins. He yanked to the left and steered into Cold's chariot. Everything collided. He reached over with his knife and slashed the ropes on Len's chariot. He had only a glimpse of Len's shocked expression before instinct took over and Barry jumped out of the chariot. He landed in the sand behind his chariot, breathing quickly. He turned around. Len had dived to the side out of his chariot and both the chariots were empty when they collided fully, wood flying. The Blue 2nd had moved into 5th while they had been distracted and was right behind. He tried them to go around quickly but he clipped the edge of Barry's chariot and went flying as well.

The others went around them a bit more carefully.

Barry tried to catch his breath. Suddenly he heard a large cheer from the crowd; he looked up and saw the supporters in Blue clothing waving and cheering. The Green supporters looked subdued. Garrick had won then. Fuck.

***

Wells stood in front of him. He was angry, angrier than Barry had ever seen him.

"You could have stopped him, and you gave it up for what? Some pathetic White? I made you! I brought you here. To Constantinople, the Hippodrome, where great chariot riders are made. You threw it all away." Wells looked as if he couldn't believe it.

"You're finished here. Go back to whatever small town you came from, you'll never be a great rider." Wells started walking away, but then turned back. "If I see you again, there will be trouble."

Barry stood there, shaken. He'd known the consequences would probably be when he'd done it. He had hoped Wells might... but no, that was stupid. Wells didn't want someone like Barry leading the Reds. It was fair enough he guessed, he had lost the race for the Greens. He would really miss the racing though. Racing at home was good, but this, this was even better. Some of the fastest horses in the world, some of the most skilled riders to learn from... He picked up his stuff from his room in the Red compound and then headed down to the stables to say goodbye to Caitlin and Cisco. Caitlin cried and Cisco had red eyes.

"I can't believe he kicked you out for that!" Cisco said indignantly. "You saved someone's life, I thought Wells was a great man!"

"He doesn't care about human lives, he cares about winning," Caitlin said tearfully. "You know, the Blue 2nd? He didn't make it. It could have been two deaths instead of one."

"It's alright guys. Really." Barry hugged them both. "Goodbye. Take good care of the horses for me."

They nodded, and he left the Green compound. As he headed towards the gates, he wondered what he was going to tell Joe and Iris. But he knew they would understand. Barry had a great family, he was lucky to have them. As he reached the gates to the outside, he spotted a familiar face waiting on the other side.

"Len?"

"That's me kid."

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to invite you to a party at the Blue compound. Apparently saving the life of a member of the team is cause for celebration." Cold looked bemused.

"I don't know..." Barry didn't really feel like a party. "I was thinking about just heading back to my house." He had to pack after all.

"Look, I've been ordered to bring you back to the Flash. Don't worry, it's just a party. We have good food, it'll be fun."

"The Flash?"

"Garrick. You know, that's what they Blues like to call him. The fastest man alive."

"The fans like their nicknames."

"They do. I'm sure you'll get one in time too. It won't be as _cool_ as Captain Cold but they can be pretty fun." Barry rolled his eyes.

"I don't think so. I'm headed home."

"What?"

"Well, I did kind of cause Wells to lose, just to save a mere White."

"And I am very appreciative."

"But it didn't exactly curry me much favour." Len paused.

"Just come to the party kid."

Len wasn't going to give up easily, Barry could see. It couldn't hurt.

"Okay."

***

Barry could hear the party inside, people talking and laughing, the sound of music. He paused outside the main Blue banqueting hall.

"Don't be shy Red," Len said and pushed open the door. Everyone turned to look at Barry and fell quiet. Then the room erupted into massive cheering, Barry smiled a little.

Garrick was sitting at the end of one of the tables and he stood up. Garrick looked to Cold, who nodded.

"So Barry, interested in joining us?"

"Well, yes, thank you for the invitation to the party."

Garrick smiled.

"Well, that too, but that's not quite the way we meant."

"What?"

"How do you fancy racing for us?" Barry was stunned.

"As a White? Is Len moving up to Blue 2nd rider?"

Garrick shook his head and smiled again.

"I've been watching you train and I think you have a lot of potential, you almost got a win for the Greens and they haven't had one in weeks. You also have a good heart too, that's just as important to us. I don't want you to ride White. I want you to ride 2nd Blues. What do you think?" The room was silent again. Barry was stunned. 2nd Blues, in the biggest and best chariot racing city in the world.

"I..." he turned to Len. "What about you?"

"I meant what I said to Wells kid. I like being out of the limelight, running Whites suits me just fine."

"Well, I guess I accept then." Barry said.

The room erupted into cheers again.

Garrick raised his goblet of wine and the room quietened. "We all lost a good friend today, and I know none of us will forget that quickly. But at the same time, it looks like we have gained a new one. To our newest Blue Rider!"

Later

"So you're really alright with this?" Barry and Len stood by the gates. It was late, past 2 in the morning. Celebration parties after a win always ran late, there were still people celebrating in back in the hall.

"If you're a Blue or Green, you have to play by the rules. I'm not a rules kind of guy. Plus if you're a Blue you get all the young women chasing after you. Just begging for you to help them make it as a Blues dancer. That's not for me."

"Oh...I...um," Barry blushed. "I don't know."

"Got a wife back home in whatever little town you're from? You seem like the type to marry the sweet girl next door."

"No. I mean, no wife. I mean, the girl next door, it was complicated for a while but we decided, not, no."

"So, no romantic interests?"

"Oh no."

"Good."

Len leaned in towards him. Their lips brushed lightly. Len's lips were so soft and Barry stepped closer, into the warmth. From what he'd seen of the man he would have expected something more rushed and passionate, but the kiss stayed slow and sweet. Len sucked Barry's bottom lip into his mouth slightly and Barry let out a soft sigh. They pulled apart slowly. They were no longer kissing, but Barry could still feel the heat of the other man's body.

"It's late." Len said. "You should go home and _chill_ , get some sleep. Training starts early tomorrow."

"Yeah," Barry said, still a little dumbfounded.

Len smiled at him, the genuine smile, and then head back into the compound. Barry headed towards his house. It was a hot summer night, he could hear the sounds of the city all around him. There would definitely be trouble ahead. Wells had promised to kill Barry if he ever saw him again, and now he was riding Blues. Len had kissed him. Barry blushed thinking about it, there would be stuff to sort through there too, Len didn't strike Barry as the easiest man to try and have a relationship with. But he got to stay, and race again. He would ride out onto the sands again, four powerful horses pulling him forward, the wind in his hair. He smiled.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not a historian. I've never owned any horses. I definitely took liberties with the historical truth and the Hippodrome. I'm also aware that in this period homosexuality was not accepted and punishable by death, which I ignored. I'm not interested in writing that sort of story at the moment in this AU.
> 
> The story is unbetaed, if you spot any mistakes please let me know.


End file.
